MONDAY NOTES

Campaign Finance– Jahra McLawrencehas overtaken Lynn Rosenthalin campaign contributions. Predictably, Rosenthal started strong, but the DUI arrest in May killed the golden incumbent goose. Since the “sleep driving” problems arose, she’s raised peanuts, with corresponding gains by the underdog challenger. As of August 8th, the last reporting period, McLawrence had collected $47,237, to Rosenthal’s $44,662. The challenger even boasts a combined $1000 donation by Past President of the Florida Bar Eugene Pettis and his law firm, made on August 5th. According to the most recent numbers, McLawrence has spent $30,000 of his war chest, while Rosenthal has burned through an astounding $150,000, after self-financing to the tune of $145,000. Will raw spending power eclipse the prestige of the McLawrence campaign? Or has public opinion turned against Rosenthal to the point she can’t possibly win? Only eight days until the election …

Who wants to be the Clerk of Courts? – names we’re hearing so far, some definitely in the rumor category: PDO Administrative Director Liz McHugh, Attorney Richard Kaplan, Clerk’s Administrator Diane Diaz, Politico Ilene Lieberman, and Clerk’s Counsel Julie Shapiro Harris(unless she’s a judge by then). As far as the possibility of Howard Formananointing a successor, he’s still playing coy. Only two years until the election …

Judge Rosenthal publicly stated at the beginning of her campaign, that it would be mostly self-funded. She accepts donations, but has done little to solicit them. And she has never held a fundraiser. This comparison is nonsense.

I work at the Courthouse and we are all praying for Richard Kaplan to be next Clerk. The Clerk’s cannot stand the current administration in the clerk’s office. The attorney’s are fed up with the current administration. And the citizens despise the clerk’s office. It is not 1991 it is 2013-out with old and in with the new.

How appropriate is it for the Chief Assistant State Attorney Jeff Marcus to contribute $100 to Rosenthal??? Guess if she wins she’s not coming back to criminal. Do I hear Motions to Recuse SAO? And don’t tell me attorneys can donate and appear before.
THIS IS THE 2ND IN CHARGE IN THE SAO.

All voters are encouraged to properly vet those running for public office. In doing so, I can’t think of how anyone in their right mind who would vote for Judge Rosenthal after what she’s pulled. And she actually expects to get away with it? I doubt Rosenthal will be sitting as judge in any court after the votes are counted. She doesn’t deserve to sit. She deserves to be shelved as do many of the judges in Broward who have repeatedly shown they are unfit to serve.

If judge Rosenthal shouldn’t have been driving under the influence of sleeping aids which was her excuse for running into the median on State Road 595 and then a cop car as she was headed into court, she most certainly should not be hearing cases. She has been running away from the responsibility she owes to the public since the story of her DUI charge broke.

Typical Broward Judge stuff from Rosenthal, albeit to no avail for in another 7 days she will be looking for another public trough to suck from if I had to guess. The worst part is the other judges including Chief Judge Weinstein are circling the wagons around some bimbo that doesn’t even know when she shouldn’t be driving, putting her own life at risk and those of other motorists. And then of course she thought she was going to go into court and decide cases while sleepwalking through the process. Just what kind of judges does Broward County really have if she is just one of the ones thinking she’s too good to be held to the same standards that everyone else is? This chick needs to learn a hard lesson because she sure hasn’t accepted responsibility for what she did.
The other crap about how she is attempting to smear her competition through really bad campaign tactics shows exactly why she never belonged on the bench to begin with and is the same tactics used by some other Broward judges in the past when it came their turn to face the music. I for one am going to vote to kick this bimbo to the curb in a few more days.

@ 5:58 and 6:58……………I think you are both wrong. Very few judges, maybe Levenson, Bidwell and 1 or 2 others, are behind Rosenthal. Most wouldn’t mind if she lost. Many are not happy she makes them look bad.
If she loses she is done. US Attorney ain’t taking her back and Rick Scott is not going to appoint her a second time.

Hey, man, just a few more days and Rosenthal should really be on the sauce when she’s lost her big for re-election! Couldn’t happen to a worse judge in my view. After what she’s tried to pull, she gives Broward judges even a worse name than they’ve earned on their own. It’s time this so called judge hits the road. Hope she takes a bus this time for the safety of other Broward motorists and herself.

Looks like Rosenthal is gonna hit the road come Tuesday. Couldn’t get rid of a worse broward judge unless you take the rest into consideration. Broward County sure has some interesting judges including the ones with substance abuse problems.

I doubt that feckless McLawrence has any idea what he’s facing on Tuesday. He seems to be drunk with blog group think.

The EOC campaign out of Tallahassee will prove to be a disaster for him, although I think Rosenthal would win without it. Whether her husband Mitchell Rosenthal was involved is a good question. I think he was very involved, but this was far bigger than him.

At least four pieces were mailed in August, one each week, and I’m sure each was easily over 50,000 pieces. And another EOC, probably related, mailed at least two fluff pieces. That’s over 300,000 pieces just from EOCs.

It’s obvious that at least part of McLawrence’s strategy was to take out a Scott appointee, but what he didn’t consider was that forces in Tallahassee that make him look like a tick on an elephant, had other ideas. So watch what happens when he runs again.

Looks like an excellent, hard working judge will be returning to the bench.

I disagree. Low turnout benefits him. Those people read the papers. I don’t know about absentee though. That may benefit her. All I know is it will be closer than either likes and I will be staying off the roads early Wednesday morning in Coral Springs and 595.

And to the above poster, it’s ECO, not EOC. Otherwise I agree completely with your analysis. The most interesting question is where the $300K came from, and again I believe that it’s not all from her husband, who, I was told, is much wealthier than she is.

I was also told that he’s not finished with McLawrence, because of the dirty campaign he’s run. He’s said he will help anyone he runs against in the future. Personally I think McLawrence has made so many enemies, it won’t be necessary. His only friends are here, and that’s nobody who makes a difference including me.

300,000 pieces of mail is a major waste considering there will be only 118,000 -120,000 total voters. As far as Tallahassee goes, not much support there anymore for Judge Rosenthal; the ECOs all register there no matter where the funding comes from. If she does win, then the JQC part starts. And with rumors of Pollack wanting a full blown trial and Feren in deep trouble too, Broward will look worse than ever when the Rosenthal case goes forward. Look for the good Broward judges to look to leave. It’s already happening.

McLawrence is going to be a sweet surprise Tuesday night. Now if Feren some how loses, that would be a nice daily double for the good people of Broward County. For all you self-righteous hypocrites out there that had the temerity to vote for the 2 incumbent clowns, shame on you. May your conscience eternally bother you.

Mclawrence missed his chance early on by not addressing his opponent’s dui charge with any clarity, which wouldn’t have been too hard even for a dummy. broward judges play dirty and he’s been dealt a hard hand. If you’re gonna play the game, play to win. Mclawrence doesn’t have a chance to win in broward where judicial politics are as dirty as some of its players. He’s chump change.

Remember when a little known but well meaning defense lawyer took on the big politician with baggage? All rise for Judge McHugh! The people of Broward want good judges, not well connected well funded posturers who want a title. Jahra has the right reasons for wanting the position. He has already won.

Jara got schooled! Time to go back to your ham and egg practice…or what’s left of it. You know what they say Jar…4th time’s a charm! LOL. The lesson here is that the public wants to know what’s good about you…not what mud you can sling at your opponent. You had an inferior resume so you slung mud…and it’s dripping from your smug face pal. See you in two years.